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Apple Valley >> Emily Allen kept the fact that she was gay to herself for four years.

“Well, like in sixth grade, I kind of thought about it,” but Allen didn’t tell anyone. “‘Am I the only person who felt like that?’”

It took until sophomore year, at Apple Valley High School, for her to come out of the closet, first to a friend who had already done so.

“I had a couple of really good friends, so I didn’t feel like I had no one to talk to,” Allen said. “It was scary, but more because of my family — I didn’t know what I’d say.”

Her friends were no problem: “They were cool; they didn’t act like it was a big thing.”

Allen’s family was a bit more complicated, but not much more so:

“It was probably my sister-in-law that I talked to first,” she said. “She’s religious, but she’s really easy to talk to.”

Her mother was upset. Not at her, but for her.

“She wasn’t mad; she was more concerned about what I’d have to deal with.”

Today, Allen brings her girlfriend along to family events.

“At Apple, it wasn’t that big of a thing, but when I went to Granite (High School), it was like everyone (was out), so it was really comforting.”

Allen, who served as the president of the school’s Gay Straight Alliance club, said it wasn’t hard to find people at Granite Hills, both students and adults, who make their distaste for homosexuality known.

Overall, though, Allen’s said had a positive experience after coming out.

“The people that matter don’t care and the people that care don’t matter,” she said. “I haven’t really had any bad experiences, but I surround myself with positive people.”

About the Author

Beau covers education and politics for The Sun and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Reach the author at Beau.Yarbrough@langnews.com
or follow Beau on Twitter: @lby3.